Undiscovered
by MissSasha
Summary: Korra was never discovered as the avatar, at the tender age of 6 she was forced onto the streets. When Mako and Bolin stumble across her and offer her a place to stay, they have no idea who she is, and neither does she.
1. Prologue

_Undiscovered_

Prologue

Korra was never discovered as the avatar, at the tender age of 6 she was forced onto the streets. Every night, after dinner, their family would walk around the park; her mother would link one arm through her fathers, and use her over arm to wrap round Korra's tiny shoulders. They were very wealthy, and had no enemies; everything was perfect for them. But, for someone else it was not, they tried to mug Korra's parents, but this escalated and they were killed. Korra had been shoved into a prickly bush by the riverside moments before by her father. He had begged her to stay still and quiet, and she had. For hours and hours she sat there, trying to hold in her sobs as she heard her parents cries fade. Dawn had broke and she had been shaking like a leaf,

"Hey! You're in my house!" A scary, tatty looking man had exclaimed at her, peeping into the bush, a hand full of raw fish. She had yelped and ran away from him. They were good friends now.

Without the avatar, the world was in chaos. Non-benders had taken over. And bending was only permitted by masters who were traditionally trained and responsible. Blood bending had been eliminated, all apart from one, Noatak; republic cities ruler. His brother, Tarrlok was a former bender but had asked for his bending to be taken away, his brother was the only one alive that could do this, and he complied.

Noatak was a kind-hearted leader, and treated everyone fairly. Taking the bending of those who felt they didn't want it, yet still treating benders with just as much respect and attention as non-benders. But the world had become weak and fearful. As eventless as it was, it was not in balance. Not in the slightest.

And only the avatar could fix that.

Pity she lay (undiscovered) in the grimy suburbs of republic city.

OoO


	2. Chapter One

_Undiscovered_

Chapter One

"Guess what Korra!" Gommu came bounding over, bearing their morning fish. Korra smiled fondly at her friend and continued absently poking the fire she had going, awaiting his approach.

"What is it Gommu?" smiling encouragingly, Gommu sat down and straightened up proudly,

"Well, I have you a job!" Korra stared at him open mouthed,

"Really?"

"Yep!" Korra flung herself at him, happily chanting,

"Thankyouthankyou!"

OoO

"Your job, is to simply keep the food warm" Korra nodded, glancing round at all the food karts that were everywhere in sight.

"You're a firebender yes?" Korra nodded again,

"What's wrong with you? Don't speak?" Korra shook her head,

"That's fine, you won't scare off the customers then" He laughed to himself and pointed at the underside of the red kart in front of them.

"Stay out of view" Korra nodded at his gentle reminder, and slipped her hand under the kart, making a small flame to heat the fireflakes.

Hidden out of view from all the passers-by, Korra was able to really take in the world around her. How people laughed and smiled, and came in groups and alone; each having their own story that she didn't know, but she wanted to. She wanted to listen to their achievements, things they were grateful for, and their problems. She wanted to listen and help and be a source of support. But she kept her mouth shut. If you don't say a word, you can't be ridiculed, if you don't say a word, you can't get into trouble.

OoO

"Hey, Mako, can we get some fireflakes? I'm starving!" Bolin rubbed his belly dramatically with a wide pleading smile up at his brother; Mako just rolled his eyes and nodded,

"YIPPE!" Bolin victoriously jumped into the air before dashing off like a bullet towards the one kart that sold fireflakes among many they frequented.

Mako shook his head fondly at his brother's behaviour taking his change out of one of the deep pockets in his long grey coat. As he caught up with his brother he flicked the coins at him,

"Get me a pack" was his comment; Bolin nodded and eagerly faced the kart,

"Hmm, I'll take…"

"Bolin! Mako! It's good to see you!" The two brothers smiled at the old man,

"I see you got your kart up and running again" Mako commented,

"Oh yes! It's working wonderfully now! No more cold fireflakes" He chortled, Mako and the merchant spoke whilst Bolin waited impatiently for his food, but due to all his jigging about he dropped one of the yuans he was holding.

Bolin muttered under his breath, "Come out come out wherever you- AHH!"

Jumping up from his kneeling position on the floor he latched onto his brother, his legs wrapped around Mako's waist,

"Bolin, get off, what's the matter-" Mako dusted off his coat, looking over at his brother concerned,

"T-there's a h-hand under t-the kart…_CORPSE MAKO! THERE IS A CORPSE!_" Mako rolled his eyes, fully aware of how Bolin could over exaggerate, rolling his eyes towards the merchant Mako realised he looked slightly nervous.

Hesitantly, the firebender knelt down, slowly leaning to look under the kart, and there was a hand there, as Bolin had said.

This hand had a small but fierce flame burning in its palm, presumably to heat the kart. Mako leant to the side, to see a girl of no older than 16, curled up defensively in a ball asleep near their not so friendly merchants feet.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mako spoke in an angry whisper, as to not wake the clearly exhausted girl,

"It's against the _law_ to exploit a bender under 19 for street businesses, and they can't work for more than four hours, how long has she been here, she looks exhausted…" Bolin watched as his brother spoke heatedly at the merchant, he took a peak at the girl and his heart went out to her. She was grubby, and impossibly thin; face sunken and every bone visible and poking at the skin. She seemed so _small_. Yet she still had the power, the inner _strength_ to keep a fire so fierce going, for god knows how many hours.

"Well she got here at 5-"

"_FIVE?!_" Mako's eyes flashed with pure fury,

"Hey, hey" Bolin laughed uneasily as he tugged his brothers arm,

"She didn't start until 6 though!" The merchant's hands went up defensively,

"This girl has been here, bending from 6am, that is _illegal_, not the mention _immoral_. We should hand you in" Mako said through gritted teeth,

"Pft, take her, she doesn't even talk, I'll find someone else" The merchant roughly looped his hands under the girls arms and chucked her towards the brothers, she had woken up sharply and began whimpering small, barely audible screams. Supressed fear.

Bolin caught her but immediately let go, if she didn't like being touched he didn't want to distress her. Mako coldly glared over his shoulder at the merchant, turning his attention back to Bolin and the girl, his younger brother was desperately attempting to calm her down, but she kept stumbling forward away from them. She had a limp and was cradling one of her arms.

"Shh, it's alright, we aren't going to hurt you" Bolin was trying to be as non-offensive as possible, but he was a big guy, and someone so muscled up hovering over someone so small was mostly likely terrifying.

"Bolin…" Mako whispered to his brother, he turned but kept an eye on a girl,  
"Look Mako, we can't just _leave_ her…"

"She probably has a home you know" Bolin raised an eyebrow,

"_Look_ at her, does it _look_ like she has a home. When we were on the streets, I had you, she doesn't have _anyone_"

"She's not our responsibility" Her was doing what was best, they didn't have the money, or the space to take her in, not really,

"Mako, don't do this…" Mako looked at the girl, _really_ looked, and she turned to face him, her big, blue eyes staring at him, not pleading, not wanting, analysing,

"Do you want our help?" He asked her quietly, her head began to shake furiously,

"See, she doesn't want our help!" Bolin narrowed his eyes incredulously at his brother,

"I know it's hard to trust us-" Bolin crouched down, giving her a chance to sit down on the floor and rest a little,

"And I know you think you can go out alone by yourself, but now that I've met you, I can't just leave you alone, even if its just for tonight, let me take you back to our place, we'll get you some foot, and place to clean up, somewhere warm and safe to sleep, and then, if you really don't want to stay, you can leave" Mako was not aware Bolin had it in him, and his chest panged as the girl slowly crawled forward, and wrapped her impossibly thin arms around his brother.

"Thank you" She whispered, and that was when Mako realised, she had been on the streets a long time. Not a year, or even five, it comes later, when you know the ins and outs of the city so well that you know you're better off not saying a word. Because you can easily get yourself into the wrong crowds, the wrong situations.

OoO

The girl and Bolin chatted all the way back to their loft, well, Bolin talked and the girl happily and enthusiastically nodded along. She threw glances back at Mako but he looked down at his feet, defensively shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

The street lights cast a warm orange glow over the streets and caused long shadows along the pavements. Mako had never been very good with people, but he felt like he should really try to reach out this girl, but he couldn't. And as he looked on at her with his brother, he hated the fact that he wanted to snatch her away and hold her to his chest and tell her everything would be ok.

And that was wrong. And he knew it. She was scared and probably only 16; he was 19 and should be far more responsible. It didn't surprise him that his 17 year old brother could connect to her better than he ever could, didn't mean he had to like it.

OoO

"So this is the kitchen, up there are our beds, and just down there is t washroom room-" Bolin was leading the girl round the loft, not that there was much to see. Mako smiled to himself at his brothers enthusiastic and charismatic ways as he tended to the stove.

"Dinner will be ready in a bit" Mako said plainly not looking up from his work,

"So as you see, it's pretty homey and we're going to have lots of fun and-" Bolin froze, and as Mako turned round with two bowls in his hands and over resting on his toned forearm he caught his little brother blushing madly,

"Um, not like that" She cracked a tight uneasy smile, but nodded, resting a hand on Bolin's shoulder in a form of consoling him out of his embarrassment,

"Hope you're ready to eat" Mako said quietly, figuring the girl probably had enough of Bolin's loud voice,

"OH MAN I'M SO HUNGRY!" Not that Bolin seemed to be as mindful, Mako shot her a look to see if she minded but her eyes were on her hands as she twisted them in her lap. Mako sighed and left Bolin to get his helping, making his way over to the window seat.

He sat next to her, at a nice distance away and leaned his forearms on his thighs,

"What's your name? I never thought to ask" he tilted his head when she didn't reply, getting frustrated quickly due to his lack of people skills and how he wanted to make her comfortable but couldn't because he sucked at this kind of stuff, _people_ stuff.

"I know you probably just want to leave and feel really uncomfortable but-" Mako was stopped mid-sentence as her hand grabbed his arm, she was shaking her head, eyes pleading with him,

"No, no, I-I really like it here, please" Her voice was impossibly quiet, Mako had to strain and he was a mere 30cm from her. Mako smiled softly at her and nodded,

"I would love to know your name if you're going to be living with us then, makes conversation a lot easier" He teased, knowing he probably just did something socially wrong, was he meant to be serious now or..?

"Korra"

Mako smiled, and led her to the small dining table, _Korra, a pretty name_.

OoO


	3. Chapter Two

_Undiscovered_

Chapter Two

Mako watched as Korra barely had three spoonful's of her dinner before sitting back for about five minutes, and taking one more, then sitting back again, and continuing her routine like this. Mako assumed that she wasn't used to having so much to eat, and had to let it settle. He would have offered that if she was full she didn't have to keep eating out of politeness, but then he thought better of it, she probably _was_ hungry, _very_ hungry, and if this was how she was to make herself less starved then Mako wasn't going to make her extremely conscious and uncomfortable about it. He should also probably stop staring, something that was noticed by Bolin as he kicked the firebender under the table, giving his brother a _'knock it off!'_ look.

After dinner Mako rose from his seat to take all the plates to the kitchen sink, only to be beaten to the punch by their newest roommate. She busied herself with quickly and efficiently washing the plates, doing a thorough and precise job with a grace that both brothers thought was impossible to have whilst washing dishes.

Now that they thought about it, she always moved with such exactitude, something Mako found highly odd for someone so weak and malnourished.

She moved silently towards the windowsill above the sofa, lifting her whole weight up on her arms. Cradling her knees to her chest, she watched the world outside the window, it made both brothers look worryingly towards each other as they saw every bone in her back visible and a pale blue colour.

Mako rose silently, walking over to one of the two trunks in the corner of the room, this one holding his clothes and things; the other held Bolin's. He proceeded to pull out the smallest long sleeved piece of clothing he had, then picking up a blanket off one of the ladder rungs that led to their beds Mako then walked over to the young girl. He laid the folded top by her feet, causing her to look up, Mako avoided eye contact though.

He felt very uncomfortable and stiff as he gently placed the blanket around her shoulders; petrified he would hurt her, Mako refused to let his eyes look at her.

"Thank you" Korra's voice wavered with uncertain gratitude, Mako nodded and then moved away to go have a shower.

OoO

Bolin watched his brother intently, leaning his chin on his palm at the unusual act of displayed kindness from Mako. He knew his brother found it hard to be around people, and interact with them, and despite how uncertain he had been at allowing her to stay, he seemed to _want_ to take care of her.

Bolin himself didn't know how he felt really, upon laying eyes on her he _knew_ she was special, but it was that ambiguous feeling where he didn't know if he just felt an instant connection to her, or was developing a crush. He knew neither was appropriate considering what she's been through, so he kept it to himself and let his brother take charge, knowing he would never develop the same issue and would easily be the responsible one.

OoO

Tenzin watched as Pema slept peacefully, tenderly holding her swollen stomach which encased their soon to be born child, he smiled and let out a contented sigh. But something felt…_different_.

The airbending master had never admitted quite how much it bothered him how they had never found his father's successor, and where before it felt hopeless and that there was this empty lonely feeling in his chest, there was now a spark of hope.

Though still uneasy and disheartened there was a warmth around the thought of the avatar, and Tenzin believed his father had been trying to tell him something all this time.

Though he was not the avatar and he could not connect to the level the avatar could with him, Aang was _still_ his father, and he felt ever connected to him. And maybe this feeling he had in his chest wasn't about not _having_ an avatar, no, maybe it was to do with the avatar that was _out_ there. Somewhere.

Maybe this avatar, for whatever reason, had been alone, and was feeling that hopelessness, but now someone or some people were reaching out to them. Maybe there was still hope yet.

OoO

"Bolin, we need to get going!" Mako called, picking up his freshly washed Fire Ferrets uniform, courtesy of the ever helpful Korra. She felt she needed to earn her keep, and the boys constantly telling her otherwise seemed to have no effect.

"Coming Bro!" In fact, he wasn't moving at all, he was scribbling away in a ratty and worn book that held little notes he liked to make of things that made him happy, because he liked how he was the one that could always be relied upon to cheer up the mood. With a brother like Mako, so serious, it was sorta necessary in his opinion. And the young earthbender hated the idea of him ever losing his exuberant happiness, so he wrote down things to remind him of all the good things that had happened in his life. The very first line in the book read, _'having Mako as a brother'_ and he knew that would get him through almost anything, the sheer number memories attached to that single small sentence was almost unfathomable. Almost.

"Hey, um, Korra?" Mako called out as he waited for his brother, awkwardly shuffling in his place, the brunette turned and stared up at Mako with wide doe like crystal blue eyes, both brothers quickly learnt this was her way of acknowledging you, and that Korra wouldn't speak unless she felt it necessary.

"Do you want to come with us, to watch? I know it probably doesn't sound very interesting and a bit loud and such but I'd rather you didn't stay here on your own" There was a pause after Mako let out his sentence like a bat out of hell, fast and awkward, like it was a confession; of what, neither of them knew.

Korra nodded and smiled one of her rare, easy smiles at the firebender and looked down as she walked over to his side.

That was another thing the two brothers had noticed, how she preferred to be at one of their sides, not out of protection, god no, but to know she wasn't left on her own. Korra, though quiet, did not need protection, hit a nerve and she throws a fit that you wouldn't even think possible given her usual quiet and withdrawn personality, let alone her small and fragile appearance (that looked a little less malnourished with Mako making sure she had food at almost all possible times of the day).

No, there was definitely a fire within that girl, and Mako knew that he had to help her let it out.

OoO

Korra's eyes darted uneasily behind her as they walked through the hallways of the golden building. The two brothers were chatting about tactics in front and Korra felt like she had to run, run away and hide. This was too risky, too unfamiliar.

She began to shake ever so slightly and decided that tightly holding her quaking arms in front of her would hold them steady some. As they walked passed an open window and into the locker room, no one noticed how the droplets of condensation in the window followed Korra as she walked past, proceeding to evaporate as her frustration grew. _What if there is no way to escape?_ She whimpered to herself in her mind.

Korra mindlessly followed the boys into the locker room, despite the fact they did need to change. It didn't matter though because as soon as she saw there was a quiet corner she sprinted towards it. She hugged her knees and faced the wall as she slowly rocked to calm her nervous disposition.

Mako and Bolin exchanged a worried look, but both quickly changed so they could do whatever it was Korra needed. Though it was a risky decision asking her to come, Mako wanted to introduce her to new environments, she seemed so uneasy with anything unfamiliar.

The brothers exchanged a non-verbal conversation; _you do the emotional stuff better than I do!_ Mako pushed, _but she's more comfortable with you, you're older, more responsible!_ Bolin retorted, _just go!_ He pushed; Mako let out a calming breath and walked ever so slowly towards Korra, making sure she knew he was there. Mako crouched down and stayed there for a few seconds before laying a hand on her shoulder.

Korra tensed, and Mako held his breath, scared of how she'd react, but she relaxed and stopped rocking. She let out a ragged breath,

"You ok?" Mako asked gentle in her ear, Korra clenched her eyes shut to hold back her tears but nodded,

"Hey, come here" Mako moved to turn her head, only to have frightened glistening blue eyes staring back at him, _begging_ him to say or do something to make her feel ok.

But he didn't know what to say.

So he wrapped his arms around her and told her it would get better, he promised it would.

OoO

Mako had told Korra not to go far, but there was a garden within the building that she could visit if she wanted some quiet time, but to make sure she was either there or in the locker room by the time the match finished. Korra had nodded, but she didn't commit herself to agreeing.

_I will do as I want thank you_. She huffed to herself; _I don't understand what I'm doing, or why I'm doing it sometimes, why haven't I gone back to Gommu and the familiar waterside, stupid girl_.

But Korra knew pure stupidity would be going back, not only did she have a place to rest her head and decent (as well as regular) food, but she also wasn't forced into doing anything she was uncomfortable with, which was the most beneficial thing to come out of all this.

Gommu was a lonely old man, and Korra was becoming a young woman. It was only when she reached fifteen that she realised it was wrong, so dreadfully wrong.

Shuddering Korra quickened her pace towards the gardens, she remembered the directions perfectly and her insides jumped with excitement. It had been a week or so since she had been around water, and she missed it so dearly.

As she rounded the corner Korra let out an inaudible gasp, it was beautiful…

Wild flowers of every colour danced around the borders of well-maintained cobble paths that lead around a small pond with blooming water lilies, small koi fish swam happily around in circles all of their own, tails gracefully moving this way, and then that. The grass was a vibrant green and the whole area smelt of Jasmin, calming.

Korra took a deep breath in and began to walk round the garden, tugging up the side of the borrowed top which kept slipping off her shoulder.

Soon it overcame her, that rattling feeling she'd had all day, the one that screamed at her to _move_. But it wasn't to run away like she had thought. No, it was to float to flow to be _free_. And so she did.

Slowing her breaths for a few minutes Korra flowed.

Hyper aware of her surroundings Korra kept on focusing outwards, farther and farther out until all she focused on was the gentle lapping of the waves against Yue bay.

Inhale, Exhale…

…Inhale…Exhale..

Korra gently hums to herself as she moves, completely in her own world, her own little meditation.

OoO

"I can't believe we won! They haven't lost this season!" Mako rolled his eyes,

"That would explain why they're here Bo" Bolin's cheeks reddened and he bashfully opened his locker, he was always a painfully slow changer.

"I'm going to go get Korra" Bolin stopped,

"I can come with you..." Upon not getting a reply the earthbender added,

"-and you know, it's not like you _have_ to treat her like a child"

"She _is_ a child" Mako stated back, acting slightly confused as to why his brother suggested otherwise,

"She isn't and you know it" Mako _did_ know, but in his head he saw her as a child because that was the best way for him to make sure the only emotional attachments he formed towards Korra were appropriate ones.

He didn't reply to his brother once again, he just gathered his stuff and to go and get Korra.

"You better be where I told you to be Korra, I swear to god if you're kidnapped of hurt…" Mako muttered to himself, now riled up due to Bolin awakening his inner emotional monster. You see, if you shove down those feelings for too long, they combine and develop a personality all to themselves. Once awaked, it rears its ugly head to plague you and everyone within a 5 miles radius with its wrath.

As he walked his way down the familiar hallways he slowed as he neared the garden, he didn't want to startle whoever was in there. But what he saw made his jaw drop and his breath leave him slowly in awe. Korra was facing him, her eyes shut as she moved effortlessly and seemingly in a trance like state. But this wouldn't have surprised the young firebender had it not been for the tall tower of rotating water the Korra practically danced upon.

The gardens went up three levels without a ceiling, and Korra was definitely making use of the space. Tendrils of water formed delicate and intricate weaves around the entire area (that was about the size, if not bigger than the pro-bending platform) creating these unfathomable elevated patterns that replicated her movements.

Mako had avoided focusing on those movements because he knew what would happen, he would become transfixed, but he had to see them. His breath caught in his throat as Korra's feeble arms twisted and turned with ease and in sync with the deep and rooted stances she effortlessly floated into.

Her motions began to slow, and the magnificent tower of water on which she stood began to lower, and by the time her movements came to a steady stop, the mast of water was no longer a mast at all. Gently the water delivered Korra onto the water bank and she slumped down, her eyes never opening. She was asleep.

OoO

Bolin was curling some weights when his brother trudged in, holding a sleeping Korra in his arms, the bottoms of her trousers slightly damp. His eyebrows furrowed together in confusion,

"What hap-"

"Not now Bo" Mako's voice was sharp and commanding, Bolin held his arms up in defence, his facial expression sucked in forming a sarcastically (albeit amusing) hesitant expression.

Mako rested the girl on the sofa, brought a blanket up to her chin and placed a pillow under her head. His hand lingered by her cheek, longing to stroke it to see if it felt as soft as it looked, he all but yelped when Korra took it a snuggled it under the side of her face, Mako couldn't help but smile, slightly amused and endeared by the action.

Bolin nearly broke in the corner from where he stood, a little part in him felt betrayed, when logically, he knew he held no claim over the girl, even if they _were_ together, he had no reason to be upset…_logically_. But feelings we're logical, were they?

OoO


	4. Chapter Three

_Undiscovered_

Chapter Three

Mako was so jittery, impossibly more uptight than usual, not to mention he was cold around Korra; completely detached in every possible sense of the word. Bolin was so angry at his brother,

"Bro whatcha playing at?" He demanded in a hushed whisper as Korra was taking a shower. Mako turned to his brother with empty eyes,

"What do you mean" the younger brother stared then, to really take in Mako. His eyes were sad and empty, but there was a certain amount of determination there. He was generally dishevelled, clothes crooked and hair more unruly than was standard.

"With Korra. You're so hot and cold…" Mako had never thought of how his decision to take himself out of the equation would affect her. Not really. All he thought about was how he was helping her, by keeping out of her life, in preparation for later. But part of him felt he needed to know for sure, he didn't even want to whisper what he thought she was, but he needed to find out.

Mako's plan was to find out, once he had, and if she _was_ what he suspected, then he would introduce her to Tenzin somehow, the airbending master. The son of the late avatar would surely know what to do. And then Mako would disappear.

It if got out he was ever in her life there would be havoc for her, the press would exploit his past, saying he and his brother were not worthy of her friendship, maybe even present her with well of friends, already packed and loaded with fake compliments and sickly sweet flattery. They may even question her; make speculations about the nature of her relationships with us. And that would make it impossible for anything to ever happen between then…not that he _wanted_ that, of course not…at least that was what he kept telling himself.

"I'm just having a bad week Bo" Mako said tiredly, rubbing his hands over his eyes. The firebender had been thinking about the girl nonstop which made seeing her quite embarrassing; he acted awkwardly and coldly towards her because he was _uncomfortable _with her being on his mind so much.

Korra came back then, pausing to tilt her head and look between the two as she used a small towel to dry the tips of her hair.

"I was thinking that today you could do some practice with Bolin, it might be more entertaining than just watching" A light blush coloured the girls cheeks but she nodded, admittedly, she quite enjoyed watching them.

Korra had been coming to the boy's practices ever since Mako wouldn't let her be out of his sight, it was overbearing and he never explained it to either of them, something which Korra had admitted to Bolin bothered her deeply. Not just because he was withholding something, and acting significantly differently, but because he though her could take control of her every move.

Korra would be the first to admit she needed support, she had all these _issues_ and all this _anger_ shoved so far down it was impossible to dig it up without dredging in some deep dark memories with it. What she did _not_ need, however, was someone to take control of her. There was a very significant difference between supporting someone, and controlling someone.

She had hoped that Mako would become a close friend; she had really _hoped_ that she, Bolin, and Mako could form a family, of sorts; wanting them to see each other as siblings.

"Yeah, ok" Korra made her way to Bolin's side,

"So, you're going to be spending the day with me!" Bolin smiled broadly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Korra remained tense the whole time but Bolin carried on. He used his other arm to animatedly tell her of all they would be doing,

"And then we shall prove not only the avatar can bend more than one element! YOU SHALL PREVAIL AND BEND FIRE _AND_ EARTH!" Mako grew nervous at the mention of the word that he had avoided even _thinking_ for the last week; he _knew_ he had to be more open with Korra. It was obvious Bolin wasn't as observant of her ways as he, and if she was the get more comfortable, Korra needed to know she was safe.

And Mako knew in the few weeks after Korra discovered she may well be the person everyone has been looking for, she will need support. And just before she was whisked away by aged masters of the old and traditional methods of bending, well, Mako wanted her to remember him as the man who was there for her, not the man that pushed her away.

This all assuming Mako had actually seen her bending water, and hadn't simply been hallucinating. But then again, had she really been bending that fire under the kart?

Bolin ran off to go get the gym key and Mako went up to Korra,  
"I'm sorry for being…_distant_" Mako awkwardly forced the word out, conversing not his strong suit, the young girl looked up at him with those big blue eyes as she nodded her acceptance of what he had said,

_Big Blue Eyes._

"Hey, Korra? How come you have blue eyes, if you're a fire bender?" They moved to sit down under the window opposite the gym, Korra shrugged,

"I didn't know I had Blue eyes actually, until I came to stay with you" her voice had become more confident over the last few weeks, it made the firebender smile,

"I was on the streets since I was six, so I don't remember much" Mako took her hand and gave it a squeeze letting her say what she felt she needed to,

"I was so _angry_, at everything, and one day fire just burst from my fists. I didn't feel in control at all, it was so scary. But eventually, slowly, it began to be more of a skill than un uncontrollable force" that was the most he had ever heard her say in one go and Mako shuffled closer, and went to wrap an arm around her waist, hovering his hand to see if she was relaxed, but to his surprise, she hadn't tensed. So he hesitantly laid his hand there,

"I'm used to you now" Mako's face contorted into shock, Korra laughed,

"I didn't understand you at all, I thought you hated me, but then you would be so nice. It was very confusing. But once Bolin explained how you had been just like me, I think I began to understand. You want to help, but you also want to make sure Bo is properly cared for and I could jeopardise that" Korra pursed her lips, as if contemplating whether to carry on, to really divulged all her thoughts, hesitantly, she continued,

"And then as you began to care a little _too_ much, you pulled back. I get that, if you needed to kick me out because your brother came first that would be easier to do if you saw me as a stranger"

How was it that, this girl, this wonderful young _woman_ that Mako has only known for a short amount of time, could be so, _so insightful_.

"Thank you" Mako whispered, as he tucked her head under his chin, quickly releasing it, realising it was an instinct he should have probably ignored,  
"For what" Korra asked back, her voice now a little defensive, probably due to having too much too soon with Mako's closeness,

"Being the most understanding friend, I think I've ever had" Korra smiled brightly, and Mako felt a little disheartened at how happy she felt with the 'friend' title.

But to Korra, a friend meant everything in the world. It was the first step towards her having a family.

OoO

"Now shift your weight to the left and POW! Yes! You've so got this!" Bolin exclaimed as Korra shifted through Bo's stance forms and punch combos,

"You're a natural!" the earthbender clapped her on the back and went to go fill up his water bottle from the fountain in the corner,

"He's right you know" Mako said from his leaning position against the wall, unfolding his arms and walking toward the Korra as she continued to work through the stances. Forever determined.

Korra grunted in reply as she threw the punches faster, in turn, slipping into the stances with a rapidity Mako didn't think even Bo could achieve. Earthbending was a very rooted form of bending though, making fluidity something of a skill.

Mako frowned, and then moved to place his hand on her lower back, and the other over her shoulder. Pushing her back and pulling her shoulder towards him Mako straightened her up.

_Crack_

The two brothers and Korra whipped round to look at the wall, where a smashed rock disk lay in pieces,

"Seriously Bro! we only have so many of those! Be careful!" Bolin threw his arms around letting water splosh about and onto the floor from his still open water bottle; Mako scratched the back of his neck,

"Uh yeah, sorry Bo, won't happen again"

"Better not Mako!" He gave his older brother a look and then the owner of the gym burst in,  
"Out you guys, the group for the next slot is waiting" The left without a word and Mako kept stealing glances at Korra, who looked well and truly rattled.

OoO

"Right, what's up with you two?!" Bo demanded as they sat down for dinner,

"I-I think I-"

"We're tired" Mako interrupted Korra, who was still in a state of shock. But still she managed to glare at Mako, _He knew_, was all she kept thinking, that alongside, _Bloody hell,_ _I can earthbend._

"Riiight, ok guys"

Bolin wasn't convinced in the slightest, but they finished their meal in silence and then went to bed.

OoO

"Wanna go for a walk with me?" Mako whispered to Korra, it was 6 in the morning and Korra was a light sleeper so quickly got up and dressed.

Korra was in a mood with him, and Mako knew it.

_What can she possible be mad about! Then again, she is a girl, and apparently they can kick off regarding just about anything, but still, it's not as if I've done anything wrong, or demanded answers I know she doesn't have…I'm just going to have to ask her. Over breakfast…soften her up a bit._

Mako looked at the girl; she seemed much stronger now, opposed to when they had found her. Bolin didn't have to get up in the middle of the night to calm her down after she woke up screaming or crying anymore, it still hurt Mako a little she didn't want him there when she was most frightened. Korra had explained this to be because Bolin reminded her of how her father behaved, it comforted her.

_I could comfort her_. He thought bitterly, _no, stop it Mako_. He scolded himself over and over for the same things, thinking the same thoughts, behaving the same way. It was a tiring cycle which he found he could not break, and whatever fuels this cycle was determined, and showed no signs of running out; a finite resource.

Mako handed Korra one of his old coats to put on, as it was still chilly out and even though she was stronger, he didn't want to risk her getting ill.

Korra wouldn't say a word, the firebender had first thought it to be shock, but upon reflection, he realised her eyes were no longer glazed, they were assured. She knew who she was, and she had accepted it.

OoO

"Why didn't you tell me" They had been sat at the sea front for two hours now, picking at their food and staring at the sea. Korra's eyes lit up near the water, they sparkled and danced and she seemed so _happy_, so at _home_,

"What do you mean?" Korra gave an incredulous look at his reply,  
"Don't deny it, you _knew_" Mako opened his mouth to reply, but shut it, taking a breath he spoke very carefully,

"Not for _certain_…I never knew for certain, and either way, I wanted you to find out for yourself" Mako said uneasily, not happy with how he worded it, but knowing she would comprehend, or at least, hoped she would, if she was as understanding as she had been yesterday. _That could have been an act_, Mako's untrusting side warned, _Why would she lie?_ Present day, more logical Mako thought, counteracting the dubious defensive side of him that had been engrained as a survival mechanism,

"You probably wouldn't have believed me anyway" Mako muttered, looking away and into the distance at avatar Aang's statue,

"I've got a lot to live up to" Korra replied, not denying his statement, not saying she understood why he acted the way he did. She simply followed his eye line and made sure she saw what he saw, no longer willing to dwell on the past, but to make sure they were still on the same page in the present, and still hopeful for their future. Because Korra wasn't letting them leave her, not now, nor never.

"This is your destiny Korra, you have to be your own person" Mako breathed out with the sea breeze, shutting his eyes, hiding his amber orbs from the young girls view as she peered at him behind her hair as it billowed around her,

"You need to find your own path as the Avatar"

OoO

_A:N_

_I would like to thank all of you who have reviewed so far _**(Me, Guest, infamous3**, **and chapara-11)**_, and also those who have favourited and put this story on alert. I want you all to know I __really__ do appreciate it, especially as I find writing really difficult, any criticism is happily received, but praise is something I've never got much of and makes me so much more confident that I'm not just screwing everything up. So I really am grateful for all your praise encouragement, Sasha x _


	5. Chapter Four

_Undiscovered_

Chapter Four

Korra had never been one to admire the benders, not the ones she saw growing up anyway. As unconventional as it sounded, she had found the purposeless street battles barbaric, and the probending matches a mockery of an art form. She had gone a long time letting people assume she was a nonbender.

So as she sat on the outer windowsill of the brother's attic, she crossed her legs and breathed slowly and surely. Letting all negative and conscious thought leave her. Her body had its own song, its own music, and as she allowed the chi to flow through her, it found its natural path.

It could have been hours, or it could have been milliseconds later, but Korra came back to the world around her, blinking once slowly to take in the light that blinded her momentarily. It was much dimmer now, the sun lower in the sky than she remembered.

A tear slipped down her cheek, she didn't bother to wipe it away. She had no reason to. With her mind clear, Korra could not think of anything that would bring her to tears. Maybe the built up emotion was slowly slipping out.

Sighing, Korra carefully made her way back through the window and saw the boys had still not returned.

Bolin had taken his brother out after Mako and Korra had fought.

Korra saw they were both to blame now, to an extent, but in her current relaxed and clear-minded state, also saw that she had to let things go. And one day she may have to let people go. So this led Korra to the conclusion that, she wanted no regrets, she wanted those close and important to her to know how she felt, and she wanted to know how they did to. But she _had_, admittedly, approached the situation wrong.

They had argued about the way Mako wanted to always know where she was, even though he told her where she was going to be anyway, so knew regardless. This had been bothering Korra for a while anyway, so she had shot back with a logical and prepared argument. Mako had got angry, as firebenders generally do with their short tempers, and started making cryptic comments about how her newfound confidence was the product of egotistical ideals that seemed to have planted themselves in her brain overnight.

Korra hadn't a reply to that, and had let Mako run out of steam whilst standing there, hands clasped loosely behind her back. I'm all honesty, she _had_ changed, not drastically, but different nonetheless. She was more at _peace_ with herself. Korra felt far more assured than she ever had of her purpose and place in life, no longer felt she could take her own. This may have come across as lofty and big headed given what the boys knew of her usual behaviour.

Bolin had stared at the girl who no longer acted like a girl, but like a woman in front of him. And had decided that if he could not say anything to sooth the tension between the two, he could at least give Korra the space she had been deprived of by his overprotective brother.

And despite the heavy atmosphere in the room, the young earthbender found no satisfaction in the two being at each other's throats. In fact it pained him some. So for once in his life he took the role of carer, and told his brother they were going out, no arguments, and that Korra should try relax and have some time to herself. And that had been that.

Korra had muttered once they had left about how those who could bend lightening were meant to be in great control on their emotions, evidently _not_.

She regretted that now. One slip up did not change who he was, who he had proved himself to be to her. She _did_ understand, but purposefully overlooked this. Mako was protective by nature, and she shouldn't have been so brash about explaining her feelings on how he acted. Especially as it was so natural to him, that was not fair.

"Our thoughts become our actions, our actions become our behaviour, our behaviour becomes our habits, and our habits become our character, so be careful what you think" muttering this to herself, Korra began to make dinner for the three; being extra careful with her thoughts.

OoO

"So...have you calmed down yet?" Bo asked his brother, offering him another handful of chips from his newspaper cone.

The tide lapped at the pier posts beneath their dangling legs as a few moments of reflection passed,  
"I don't know" Mako said honestly,  
"She's changing"

Bolin frowned, Mako wouldn't even say Korra's name,  
"Hey, bro...I don't think she's _changing_, more, coming out of her shell. I honestly doubt she's naturally the quiet type…you've seen her eyes when she's doing well, _anything_" the earthbender chuckled a little uneasily,  
"-She has this, _determination_ Mako, I'm sure she's just getting more comfortable now" despite his efforts, Bolin felt a little disheartened to see his brother turn away, seemingly unchanged by what he had just said,  
"I bet she's not even mad at you anymore!" he huffed, trying one last exasperated time to get through to Mako,  
"I didn't _do_ anything wrong! Why is it _always_ my fault when it comes to her?!"  
"Mako, you _know_ you were being way to over protective-"  
"with every reason to be" Glaring at the interruption Bolin carried on,  
"_and_ it's not always your fault, you're just the one that doesn't like to compromise or ever admit you're partially to blame, also, 'her' name is _Korra_"  
"When did you turn into the older brother" Mako questioned, raising an eye brow, effectively dodging all he said, but the earthbender now saw that his brother took in his views and would think over his actions,  
"I dunno, maybe when you started having girl troubles" Mako chucked a chip at him with a scowl before they both set off for home.

_No denial,_ Bolin sullenly thought to himself.

OoO

_'With every reason to be'_ _that was what he had said, but what does _that_ mean?_ Bolin thought to himself as the walked up the never ending flights of stairs to the attic, _am I missing something here?_

"Thanks Bo" Mako said quietly as they neared the top,

"I owe you" Bolin nodded and smiled at his brother, too wrapped up in his thoughts to actually reply. They were both tired, and wanted to just go to bed.

As Mako pushed the door open they both stood still to take in what seemed to be a fast asleep Korra, curled up on the small sofa, with a note by her arm. Bolin hurried over to her, crouching down to make sure she was actually sleeping and not knocked out or unwell. This caused the firebenders stomach to twist uncomfortably,  
"Here, let me check her, you read the note" Mako hated how his voice sounded so stiff, but his reactions came fast and irrational lately,

"Sure thing bro" Bolin replied slowly, slightly confused as to why his brother was all up tight over him just making sure their new friend wasn't dead or anything.

Mako didn't know what he intended to actually check, because Bo had already announced her asleep, but he settled for just sitting on the floor by her head, leaning his shoulder on the sofa to wait for his brother to read the note.

_"I'm kinda tired, food's on the stove, night guys x" _

Bolin's bottom lip jutted out as he teared up,

"Aw she left us food" his voice overcome with emotion, Mako, though touched by her gesture, wasn't _quite_ as emotional as his brother,

As if on que their stomachs both grumbled loudly,

"Guess the chips didn't hit the spot" Mako muttered, checking Korra hadn't been woken by their protesting intestines,

"Now, do you want a big bowl, or _two_ big bowls?" the firebender was surprised to see his brother already scooping food into his own, hungrily eying up the grub, Mako chuckled,  
"One will be fine Bo" Bolin shot a grin over his shoulder as the two brothers made their way over to the table to eat.

OoO

Korra had gotten up bright and early to go for a run all around the city; she went everywhere and anywhere hoping to get rid of all this excess energy that had been building up over the last week or so.

It was nearly a month now she had been staying with the brothers; they had won their last match and were now in the championships. Their waterbender was being…_difficult_, but they were making it work, as far as Korra could tell, they _needed_ to. She wanted to help but she never had been able to hold down a job.

Upon reflection, she suspects that fire was the element that stayed with her because of the anger she had, towards her situation, herself, and life, in all its unfairness. It was the only reason Korra could think of for her to lose her-as Mako had pointed out-obvious birth element of water. And clearly, the avatar was born into water this time round, so she was first and foremost, a waterbender.

Then why was it she could hardly stay calm long enough to bend at all? If she wasn't angry, she was nervous; if she wasn't nervous she was embarrassed, confused, lonely, sad. Korra found herself stuck with no one to guide her,

"Urgh!" She shoved her fist into the seawall, which probably thought its sole purpose in life to prevent coastal erosion, but apparently now found itself posing as the girl's punching bag. Again and again came her blows until her fists were bloody and numb, and her face hot and tear streaked,

"I'm a mess"

She had thought after her little meditation session last week that she was more in balance with herself and the world around her. She obviously thought wrong.

"Why is this so difficult" Korra took off again, panting as she made her way round the bay, the park (knowing Gommu wouldn't be there this time of day) the alleyways, the town, the port, and then, she was back at the arena.

Her hands were stinging due to the wind hitting them relentlessly, and Korra flinched as she tapped them gently, she hummed to herself and pulled her worn fingerless gloves out of her pocket, pulling then on with a wince. At least they were covered now, right?

"Waitta go Korra, stupid stupid stupid" she shook her head and then made her way to the very top of the building. The sun was over head now, and she had gone out at half five as the merchants had just been setting up, the boys probably weren't even up-

"Where have you been?!"

"OH THANK SWEET BABY AANG YOU'RE ALIVE" Korra all but stumbled back down the flight she had just climbed when practically attacked by the brothers,

"I'm uh- I mean, um-" Her hands began to shake and she mentally pleaded for them to stop, the last thing she needed was to go into a panic attack when she was already a mess as it was; breaking down into an emotional wreck was _not_ going to help that.

"Hey, hey, sorry, we'll back off. We were just worried" Mako stepped back three feet and rubbed his neck awkwardly, Bolin seemed to be staring at her in disbelief, as if she had come back from the dead, and that was when she noticed it.  
"W-what's that?" Korra pointed to the red and white ringed long rat looking thing that was nibbling on a piece of bread in the corner of the room,

"Oh! That's Pabu!" Mako rubbed his hand over his face at his brother's enthusiastic and non-explanatory reply,

"He's a fire ferret, Bolin found him running around in the beams this morning" Korra eyed the animal suspiciously,

"It won't eat me right?" Bolin looked honestly offended at her suggestion; Mako cracked a smile and replied in all seriousness,

"I'm sure Bo will keep him in check"

OoO

Two days before the championship match, Noatak publicly announced the elimination of the sport. The brothers were distraught, the _needed_ that money, even if they didn't win, it was how they got the majority of their money.

Everyone else in the city was somewhat ambivalent, they didn't like having a form of entertainment taken away, but they could understand Noatak's reasoning. Korra personally thought there was hardly any reasoning at all, just a lot of smooth talking. Honestly, it was like his whole announcement was bundled in bubble wrap.

"What does he _mean_ its 'detrimental to the peace of the city'?! He can't _tell_ us what peace is, he can't _make_ peace!" Mako grumbled bitterly as Bolin glared at the floor harshly,

"You know, I was starting to like the guy. Not now. No way" Kind-hearted Bo was always a little less anger fuelled than his brother; he couldn't even hold a grudge for more than 12 hours.

Korra looked at her feet, feeling responsible for all this _cushioning_ the city was under. The _avatar_ was the one to keep balance, yet she stood here, weak and hardly able to bend at all. She hadn't even _known_ she was the avatar; it took a stranger a few weeks to figure it out, start figuring _her_ out.

"Why am I so useless?" The statement flew from her lips, carrying venom and self-hatred. Before anything else could go wrong, Korra ran, she ran back to where she came from, and she wasn't coming back until she was somewhat presentable to the world.

OoO

The brothers had tried to keep up with her, they had ran until they fell flat on their faces from exhaustion, but something was carrying her faster than they had thought possible. Her strides never shortened and her paced never slacked. It was so surreal; this girl they both thought was physically weak and in need of their protection was easily out running them and into the world without even the slightest hint of struggle.

"We need to find her" Bolin stated, his brother glared at him,

"Well done, come up with that yourself?" Mako winced upon hearing what came from his mouth,

"I'm sorry Bo, I'm just-"

"Worried, yeah I know, we both are Mako. I care about her as well you know"

And in that moment, there was a heavy silence as both brothers let that sink in. Did that mean that Bolin cared for Korra as Mako did? The weight of that statement depended on how Mako felt and he _knew_ it. _I don't like her as anything more than a friend; she should be like a sister…_

"Let's just go find her Bo"

OoO

"All you have to do is wait tables and look pretty" Korra nodded, having been dolled up in a little make-up and dressed in clothes she never thought she would wear, well it had given her something to hide behind. And for that, she was grateful.

Though utterly disgusted with the fact that she had been directly told to flirt back with the customers if they began an advance, something she wasn't comfortable with at all. _Sacrifices have to be made_, she reminded herself, _not yourself worth Korra, never that_, she found herself scoffing, _too late_.

It was dark out now, and Korra was practically dead on her feet. She had worked all day, had no money to buy any lunch, breakfast and doubted she could find anything free for dinner, so was simply looking forward to resting her head.

Korra's eyes widened, where was she going to sleep?

"I am so_ stupid_" She all but whacked herself on the forehead for not thinking this far ahead,

"Hey sweetie, I have to say, you look rather ravishing in that uniform" Korra pulled a face as she turned to see who was speaking to her, his hair was an odd purple shade and hung in a greasy wave over one side of his face, Korra could understand why he wanted to hide it though, his eyes were cruel and his brow set in a forever unattractive scowl.

"Oh?" looking down at her dress and apron, she saw nothing particularly spectacular about it, besides it being more inconvenient than her trousers, which makes it a _spectacular_ pain.

"Don't be so modest, you have to flaunt what you have."

"And what exactly _is_ that?" She snapped, immediately she wished she hadn't asked, upon seeing the glint in his eyes,

"A body that any man would _kill _to get his hands on" Korra visibly paled,

"Uh, I-I better go and clear some tables or-"

"_You_-" The man grabbed her wrist, causing her to drop the pincher of water she had held,

"-are not going, _anywhere_" Gulping she quickly assessed the situation, so, she was trapped, effectively. With no one else anywhere in sight, and this stranger yanking her out of the shop she had little hope of escaping. Yet, something was still sparking inside of her, _something_ wouldn't give up.

"_No"_ Korra ground out, sharply yanking her wrist out of his grasp,

"I shall _not_ be going anywhere with _you_" jabbing a finger in his chest with excess pressure to make her point,

"I'm _sick,_ of people like _you,_ thinking you can push around people like _me. _You aren't anything special, you are not above anyone else, we are all humans for god sake! Get a hold of yourself! Do you even think this is _appropriate_? Because it sure as hell isn't, and that would be jail time you'd be serving, and I can tell you one more thing, you'd go in with a broken arm and the inability to father children if you ever touched me again. And let's not _forget_-" Korra stopped when she saw the look the man was giving her, and then she realised something. The waves were silent, no sound at all. Usually they were audible even _inside_ the small café on the seafront.

Korra looked over her shoulder, to see a suspended wall of water. It held perfectly still, and was about the size of the probending stadium width wise and in height.

"Is that _me_?" she whispered,

"I thought they only had nonbenders as waitresses!" The man began to sprint away from her, but Korra stood and stared in awe at the water she had apparently bent into this position. Slowly, she raised her arms in a way she felt most natural, and pulled them backwards. With a loud and destructive crash all the water fell forward towards her, flooding the bay, even the pier was submerged.

Korra removed the gloves she had been wearing since she had busted up her hands with a wince. Scabs had been reopened in the process but she needed to see if they were healing. They were a frightening dark purple now, in some places nearing black. Her usually bony fingers now swelled to just over normal size, only noticeable to her really.

She hated to admit it, she really did. But Korra knew what she _should_ do.

It was evident that she was out of control, her emotions led her every action, and now those actions were resulting in unknown bending? Not only could she be imprisoned for bending without being in full control, but she could do some real harm. She needed guidance, and she needed support.

But that was so hard for her to accept when she felt like a horrible, _disgusting_, useless person, hardly worthy of being the avatar at all. Not to mention all these _secrets_ about her past that she had never told another soul alive, they caused her nightmares and haunted her wherever she went. Korra had even taken to only sleeping for an hour at a time to avoid getting to the dreaming part of sleep; she knew it kept the brothers up when she began screaming.

A little part of her thought it was best no one ever found out she was the avatar; Mako being the exception. That way no one would ever get their hopes up to only have them crushed when a girl completely incapable of being the avatar inevitably screwed up, ending in doing more harm than good and wrecking the lives they had built for themselves in her absence. Or well, as far as they knew, her nonexistence.

But as she stared over to Air Temple Island, Korra found herself thinking that maybe she was allowed to screw up. _Maybe_ she was growing into the avatar and until she was fully trained, she was permitted to admit she was lost and confused and finding everything really hard. She _was_ the avatar, and the spirits wouldn't have chosen her if they didn't think she could deal with it. So she was going to make her parents proud, she was going to make Aang proud, damn it, she was going to make the world proud. But also herself, and prove to Mako that she didn't need constantly looking after either.

Korra breathed in, and then out. She would find the brothers, apologise, and then go to councilman Tenzin. He was Korra's closest connection to Aang, and Mr Spiritual; he would be able to help her. She was sure of it.

OoO

_A:N_

_I really did _not like this chapter at all. So I can honestly say I don't blame you for telling me off for it, it's mainly because I'm had lots of hospital meetings that make it difficult to write a chapter in one go, which is usually how I write them, but not this one, this one was choppy and all over the place L I'll probably replace it later, thanks for reading anyway, Sasha x


	6. Chapter Five

_Undiscovered_

Chapter Five

"But you only just started!" the store owner exclaimed at an abashed Korra,

"I'm really sorry, I just don't think I can work here anymore" _I'm pretty sure I _did_ mention I can't hold down a job,_

"I won't be paying you young lady!" Korra nodded, looking at her feet,  
"Of course, I didn't expect you to, thank you though" He let out a gruff grumble and waved her off,

"Just go girl, you need to learn how to survive in the real world" Restraining her shaking fists, she placed a tight mocking smile of her face,  
"Don't worry-" korra ground out,

"I will"

OoO

So how was she to word this…

_"Hey I know that I keep running away, and then coming back, and I've been nothing but an inconvenience since I came into your lives, but hey, will you take me back in? I need a place to sleep you see"_

Korra chuckled to herself,

"They are _never_ going to want anything to do with you now Korra, so what's the plan?" She always found physically talking through a situation distracted her long enough to ensure that she didn't start over thinking; made things a lot easier to take in.

Korra heard her steady footfalls and allowed herself to breathe evenly; this was going to be fine. It was all going to work out alright, Avatar Aang was going to guide her when she was uncertain, and he was simply waiting for her to unlock her connection to him. _I have to find_ _councilman Tenzin_.

As she neared to arena, Korra felt her stomach twist uncomfortably, and the warm orange colour of the sky, though beautiful, did nothing to calm her any.

All too soon Korra found herself outside the brother's door, should she knock? Should she just burst in and announce her presence? She thought not, so she waited. Setting up camp to the side of the door and waited for someone to leave, or alternatively, return.

Korra didn't have to stay there very long; she heard Bolin's distinctive voice drifting up the spiralling stairs from below,

"We really appreciate you helping Miss Sato" there was a tinkling laugh,

"Of course, I really love watching you two play, and I would gladly help find your friend"

_Oh crap_…

Korra felt more awkward than she ever had in her life, just the _voice_ of this woman sounded so graceful, _I bet she's beautiful_ she thought bitterly. What was she to say, or even do, when presented with an obviously impeccable example of what a woman should be, what she would _never_ be?

Well, if she couldn't be an elegant and 'proper' woman, she would have to be a whole different type all her own; the world would have to deal with it. _She _would have to deal with it.

Korra stood, and forced her shoulders back as she stood and awaited their arrival.

Admittedly, they took their time coming up the stairs, so her confidence drifted away, as did her assured stance; so now she was leaning against the doorframe in what could only be described as exhaustion.

_No Korra, keep it together_.

"Korra?" Her aquamarine eyes snapped up in shock, she had known they were coming, but had lost concentration, _again_. Teaching her any form of bending was going to be a tough job if she couldn't even keep focused.

"Um, hey" Her voice was impossibly quiet again, like it had been when they had found her,

"Sorry" She apologised looking down, biting her lip to prevent the tears that threatened to fall, and fight the urge to throw herself at one of them for comfort. Exhaustion did funny things to your emotions, or maybe that was the supressing.

She hadn't realised Mako had also been there, having not heard him say a word on the way up, but then again, he was always a quiet one. But upon meeting his gaze, Korra saw his tired and worried eyes staring at her with such intensity she wanted to flinch. It was like a physical blow, and the worst part? She didn't even know if he was angry, or relieved or even upset. He was so good at hiding sometimes.

"What and earth for?! You gotta stop leaving us in the lurch Kor!" Bolin implemented a nickname he had never used before in an attempt to alleviate the tense atmosphere the staring had brought, it was somewhat successful because Korra gave him a wobbly smile before throwing her arms around the earthbender, who easily encased her in a protective and firm hug.

"It's good to have you back" He whispered in her ear before laying his head back in the crook of her neck,

"I missed you guys" She whispered, even though Bolin was the only one who could hear.

The two parted and Korra felt a little more like herself, a little more stable. She had to admit, she had gone a bit crazy for a few days, but she seemed ok now, so decided not to think about it anymore.  
"So, you're the famous Korra" An absolutely _stunning_ woman, maybe Mako's age, smiled softly down at her, Korra raised her hand ever so slightly to give a small wave,

"N-nice to m-meet you" Stuttering with her nerves Korra lowered her hand, and this woman hers, obviously expecting a hand shake and not getting one,

"I'm Asami, and I'm really happy you found your way back, these two were going out of their _minds_ with worry. Must've really muscled into their hearts" she winked at her,

"Ew Asami, cut it out with all the mushy stuff!" Bolin joked as he pulled a face, hoping his over dramatic antics would cheer up Korra, peering out of the corner of his eye to see it had worked, his grin proceeded to widen.

Asami waved off his comment and raised a bag,

"I have food, and _you_ look like you need it" She motioned to Korra, who scowled ever so slightly, pouting at the comment.

Korra all but sprang a meter in the air when she felt a hand on her lower back, she turned, wild eyed, to see Mako standing there, staring at her blankly. His thumb rubbed over one of the bumps of her vertebrae that protruded from her spine, frowning at his hand as if it deeply upset him.

Bolin and Asami exchanged a glance, not knowing what was exchanging between the two. The heiress noted how Bolin loosed somewhat downcast, and wondered if there was some sibling rivalry for the frighteningly thin girl.

Eventually, Bolin went in, deciding he wasn't going to wait for the two to snap out one of their seemingly telepathic moments of communication. He slammed the plates a little _too_ hard onto the table and Asami, who had followed him in, raised a perfectly shaped brow,

"Are you alright?" Bolin looked at her, his face clearing of the frustration it had held a moment early as he blinked,

"Yeah, yeah, sorry, I'm fine. I just wanted a bit more time with Korra before they…" He trailed off, motioning to the shut door; Asami gave a sad smile,

"She _did_ run to you first. I think she'd pick you...if she had to choose that is. The poor thing looked more than a little scared of Mako" Bolin gave her a look of confusion, but upon realising what she had assumed chuckled,

"Korra doesn't like _either_ of us that way, I don't think. She sees us as brothers, I'm sure of it" Asami flushed,

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to jump to conclusions, you're just so close and…" Bolin nodded,

"We are, and it's fine. Korra _seems_ like she's scared of Mako but really, she's just startled easily, and isn't too fond of contact unless she's upset, or initiates it, which is why she didn't shake your hand"

"Oh I see, I think I understand now, and you noticed that? I thought she didn't like me or something" Asami looked down,

"I notice everything that she does, when we took her in, Korra barely spoke at all, so you had to learn to pay extra attention to her actions, I guess its habit now. And Korra is so…_kind_, she would never not like you, especially with you being so nice to her. I think she's probably just a bit intimidated by having so many people around her" Asami nodded, and the two dished up in companionable silence.

OoO

"You're so pale Korra" Mako eyed her worriedly through his mask of indifference. Not knowing how to reply the girl simply looked at her feet, becoming increasingly aware of his hand as it burned her back, unsure if it was his warmth of something generated by herself.

"Please don't do that again, if you need space, we can give it to you…but…I-" Mako struggled for words, quickly becoming frustrated and running his free hand through his already unruly hair,

"We were so worried, Korra, _I_ was so worried. I thought I'd lost you forever" Her breathing came more quickly now, the information of knowing people cared really hit a nerve and made her feel very _odd_. That was the only way she could describe it, the feeling so foreign.

_You feel _loved,_ idiot_.

Now her breathing stopped all together. These boys, these wonderful boys had taken her in and saw her as a little sister. They cared about her, and worried over her whereabouts and-

"What's this?" Mako tugged at the cuff of her gloves, a calculating and demanding tone in his voice,

"Um…" Korra didn't have time to compose herself and formulate a reply before the firebender had them off; though quickly, he had still been gentle enough that no scabs had reopened,

"Korra…" he breathed, pain in his voice as he lightly traced over her battered hands,

"Who did this?" His voice having a new, dark and metallic edge to it,

"I swear to god I will-" her hands went from his chest to trailing down his arms, and finally, settling on his clenched fists, waiting for them to relax. When they had, Korra took a deep breath, refusing to look at him in fear of losing her nerve,

"I-I did Mako, please, don't be angry, I'm tired and we can talk tomorrow and I'm sorry, just please-"

"Why?" He murmured as he pulled her into a quick and awkward hug, wishing he had his brother's bear-like abilities when it came to embracing another.

"Too much, too soon. I have all these emotions Mako, I don't even know how to explain it, I need _help_. And guidance…"

"I know what you mean, they get impossible to ignore when you bottle them up for so long, and then they come out in bad ways. Bending helped me, maybe we should take you to Tenzin, so he can train you and then you'd be allowed to use your bending, and hopefully that will help you get rid of some or all of this bad energy" Korra cracked a smile, he thought just like she did, nodding, the slightly happier avatar replied,

"yeah that sounds ok, I don't know if I want him to know though…" Mako gave her a look,

"Korra, he won't take a nonbender in and try to teach them airbending, if thats-" Korra laughed as Mako seemed to ever so carefully explain to her,

"No, no, I mean, I want to watch him first, see what type of person he is, it'd make me feel more…_comfortable_" Mako looked a little red-cheeked but nodded,

"That sounds fine to me, they're making an announcement about the elimination of probending in a few days, we can go to that?"

"Sounds like a plan" she whispered as they went back inside.

OoO

Korra's gloves were back on by the time the two reached the dinner table, Mako again leading her with a hand on her back, which she was beginning to think was something she was going to have to accept.

_He hasn't made an over-protective comments yet, kept his mouth well and truly closed when he first saw me as well. Maybe this is his way of being all older-brother-super-protector without actually demanding my whereabouts and general rundown of my every move. _Korra mused to herself.

The four chatted easily over their food, it was explained how they had bumped into Asami after she almost ran them over with her motorcycle, and she had demanded if there was anything she could do, when Bolin had, completely misinterpreting the question, broke down into hysteria explaining about Korra missing. Insisting she help, the three were just coming back here to decide a plan of action.

They finished, and Korra sprang up to wash the dishes, the brothers had got used to this, and usually took it in turns to silently move to dry what she washed. Bolin was faster than his brother this time around, desperate to spend some time with Korra and proudly claimed his light green dishtowel. He began drying dramatically in circular motions with a huge shit eating grin on his face.

Asami tried to make awkward conversation with the firebender in the other two's absence, but found it extremely difficult as he was not a talkative one like his brother.

Korra found that the warm soapy water soothed her aching hands and left them sitting in there after finishing her last plate. Bolin had dried and packed everything away and stared at Korra with a small contented smile on his face. That was until he noticed the water beginning to glow.

His jaw dropped and eyes all but bugged out of his head,

"B-bro?" upon not getting a reply, Bolin looked up at Korra, who seemed to be in a world of her own, as if really concentrating on something. He saw a globule of water rise up her arm and encircle it, glowing like a huge and busy firefly; all her scrapes and bruises fading to nothing. This blob of hyperactive freaky water then made its way back down her arm and into the water basin, only to rise up the other arm,  
"MAKO GET OVER HERE!" Bolin screamed in an embarrassingly high octave, too freaked out to care.

Mako rushed over, opening his mouth to ask whatever was the matter, and had he felt something that he thought was a snake in the sink again, but then promptly snapped it shut; watching in awe as Korra healed herself.

The firebender knew better than to disturb her when she was in a zone, whether it be meditating (he got a hit in the nose for that one, _accidently_ of course), or making their beds, or doing something extraordinary, finding out pretty quick it never ended well to break what she described as her 'rare and cherishable concentration'.

Once the water had returned, and some of the tension and concentration fell out of her face, Mako waited for Korra's eyes to open. When they didn't, he looked over at Bolin, who shrugged. They heard a chair scrap as Asami made her way over to see what was wrong,

"Korra?" Mako whispered in her ear, gently trying to coax her back to present, lightly resting an open hand on her shoulder,

"Korra, are you ok? Do you feel better now? Let me see your hands" Hoping his questions would get a response Mako waited, and he did get one, just not a verbal variation. Korra gently nodded, her eyes clenching shut again as she tiredly raised her hands a few centimetres, Mako realised she was too exhausted and looped one arm under her lower arm to lift them the rest of the way out of the water, using his free hand to gently probe where bruises and cuts used to be.

Bolin fetched a dry towel and dabbed the areas of her arms that were wet but not under Mako's inspection.

"What's happened?" Asami asked confused, and Bolin wished he could answer her, but he didn't know, and was too shocked and confused to state so. Mako on the other hand seemed to be completely calm and aware of what was happening, something that made a small part of Bolin scowl inside.

"You did a really good job there sweetheart, But I know you're tired so I'm going to carry you to the sofa, is that ok?" Korra nodded weakly again, confused herself as to why she was so tired, and why her arms and hands no longer ached as they had done so badly before. She didn't even question how Mako had called her 'sweetheart' but Bolin certainly was; jealously causing him to clench his fists.

Asami lay a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, knowing however much Bolin had earlier denied it, that it was true. The brothers were unknowingly fighting for that girl.

The two looked over at the firebender with uncertain and lopsided frowns as he tucked the confusing and mysterious girl before them into her makeshift bed.

I believe, things just got complicated.

OoO


	7. Chapter Six

_Undiscovered_

Chapter Six

"I think I should go" Asami stated as she looked between the sleeping Korra, and the obviously tense brothers,

"Is it ok if I come back in a few days? I have something I've been meaning to ask you two since the probending has been banned" Bolin gave the raven haired woman a tight smile, but nodded his consent,

"See you then" he called half-heartedly as she left, instantly moving to glare at his brother once she was no longer in sight,

"You could have said goodbye" the earthbender snapped, Mako shrugged, preferring not to get into a conversation,

"Come to think of it, there are a lot of things you could've done, like told me about Korra"

"You _know_ it would never be my place to divulge something like that" the firebender grew defensive, looking angrily at a bare wall just to keep his temper under control, clenching his jaw tight in hopes that nothing would spew out that he would later regret.

"I could have helped her too, she probably needs it" Mako couldn't dispute that, which made him all that more determined on getting her to Tenzin.

"You know, once the world finds out we'll never see her again. Everyone knows Avatar Aang told the white lotus to look after the next avatar, train them, keep them safe. They've been looking for Korra for years; she'll be whisked away and out of our lives forever" Mako mused, hoping to prepare his brother for the separation, himself well and truly detached,

"We're not leaving her, we are all she has, the only _family_ she has, they can't make us just disappear out of her life"

OoO

Bolin stayed at the attic to meet Asami and see what she wanted to ask them, whilst Mako and Korra made their way to city hall, hanging around to see if they could catch a glimpse of the only master airbender left on this earth.

The young avatar huffed and crossed her arms,

"Why isn't he here" Mako chuckled at her, giving her a fond look,

"He _does_ have other things to be doing you know, soon to be four kids, paperwork, making sure the last air benders on earth are appropriately trained, you know, the usual" Korra had never really heard the firebender joke, not with such ease, It caused her to end up staring at him in amazement...opposed to replying.

Cheeks flushed and a little flustered, Korra laugh uneasily hoping it would suffice as her reply.

About half an hour passed, and Mako smiled as the young girl nestled deeper into his side, gripping his shirt whilst she napped. The two were on the floor, rested up against one of the shaded columns in the courtyard that lay way to the main hall.

Mako knew she hadn't been sleeping well lately, or at all, finding out when Bolin had hit him and mouthed that he wanted water last night. Mako was met with two piercing blue eyes as she drew various pretty and detailed drawings at the kitchen table, in a world of her own. He had got the glass of water, rested a blanket over her shoulders, and gone to bed.

Snapping out of his memories, Mako caught eye of a tall bearded man in bright orange, traditional air nomad robes.

"Korra..." he whispered down to her,

"Korra, he's here" grumbling she hid in his chest,

"As much as this is very comfortable, you're the one who wanted to see him, so don't hate me for this"

Mako shuffled around until he was standing, one arm wrapped around Korra the other in his pocket.

"Now remember, you have to be somewhat sociable Korra " A small smile tugged at Korra's lips, too tired to respond to the jest, a feeling of contentment settled over the two.

"Excuse me!" mako waved in the air, hoping to catch Tenzin's attention.

The middle aged man felt his beard twitch crookedly, as he turned in question to the voice.

He saw a familiar looking, well-built young man, with a rather thin and tired looking younger girl; so tired, she seemed to be gripping to the man to hold her up.

"Hello, what can I do for you?" Mako gave him a small and grateful smile,

"I was wondering if you could direct me to the nearest hospital, we're new in town and I think my little sister here has hurt her hands" Tenzin raised an eyebrow,

"May I examine?" Mako gave a nod,

"Korra, a nice man is going to have a look at your hands" at this her eyes flew open, bringing bright blue irises into view, and for Tenzin, the world stopped.

Those eyes were familiar; those eyes had a depth and old wisdom that tugged at his heart, and a connection, one very, _very_ close to that he had to his father.

Quickly, Tenzin looked from the young man to the girl. They were nothing alike, and he knew him. He was a firebender, who was a player in probending with his brother. There was never a mention of a sister. His eyes narrowed and stayed on the firebender as he gently took Korra's hands into his own,

"She was fire bending and we think something was strained" Mako lied smoothly, but Tenzin knew what had happened to these hands. They had been healed, by a waterbender; he would know, his mother was the best in the world. The energy around the healed areas, matched that of the girls, something the way of the airbenders permitted him to realise, given their awareness of themselves and their surroundings through such routine meditation. Tenzin knew then.

"I don't think medical attention is necessary, simply rest" he nodded to the two, lowered the avatars hands and, looking her deep in the eyes, said,

"I hope to see you soon, and rested" it wasn't a polite comment, he meant it, and Korra beamed at him, bowing slowly in respect.

Once Tenzin had disappeared into city hall, Mako turned to Korra.

"So, what do you think of him?" he asked eagerly,

"I think he knows" Mako gave a startled look towards her, holding her closer unconsciously,

"W-what?" Korra chuckled and rested a hand casually on Mako's arm, the one that _didn't_ hold her in a vice grip,

"You can't fool him, he's too wise, too _observant_" The firebender seemed to be in shock, his eyes filled with fright,

"No" he whispered, Korra ducked out of his grip, removed her hand and placed both on her hips, frowning,

"What do you mean '_no_'?" her voice raising in annoyance.

Mako looked at Korra then, his eyes intense and burning with so much emotion, he was trying to tell her how much he wanted her in his arms forever, to never let her go; he thought he was ready to let her take her rightful path but he wasn't. Not if he couldn't be there with her, he _needed_ her to stay with him. And that scared him a little bit.

And for once, he was open with his emotions, he was _honest_,

"They can't take you away from me"

OoO

"She sorta scares me when she's like this" Bolin whispered to his brother as they put away groceries onto their appropriate shelves, Make raised an eyebrow and looked over his shoulder at Korra.

She was sat in a meditative state facing out the window at republic city. And had been for just over an hour now,

"What, when she's meditating? Bo, what do you think's going to happen?" Mako chuckled, his brother jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow before leaning up to whisper,

"You know what I mean, she could do that crazy thing with the white eyes and the floating and the destruction and the 'ARGH IM SO ANGRY! I'M GUNNA TERRIFY YOU ALL' thing!" Mako looked at his brother in concern, wondering if he should check for a temperature,

"Bo, she's always done that, chill"

"I can hear you, just to let you know" came her undemanding voice, like the soft breeze in the summer, easy, flowing and free.

She unwound her legs only to cross them and pushing herself up, so she could have her hands free to straighten her clothes in the same movement,

"You never did mention why Asami was here" she carried on upon not getting a reply, failing to realise the way the boys eyes and thoughts were fixated on her every move. Her delicate little hands made quick work of packing away the remaining jars and packages,

"I might go and ask her myself at this rate" the girl laughed and whacked them both with an open palm on their shoulders,

"Don't ignore me guys!"

"Right! Yeah, sorry, she was um, offering us jobs actually" Bolin said, a hand on the back of his neck, looking at his feet,

"That's great!" Korra tried to muster up enthusiasm, but didn't quite manage it,

"Will you both be out at the same time or-" She didn't finish, stopping herself short to make sure she didn't sound any more desperate that she already had. Mako gave her a soft look, shaking his head,  
"We aren't taking the jobs Korra" The avatars once peaceful state shattered and she looked at the boys in confusing,

"What? No, you need those jobs, and Asami's nice and, and-"

"-and we're staying with you. You're stuck with us!" Bolin beamed at her, arms wide, wiggling his eye brows,

"Hug worthy right? Yeah, I thought so" His grin spread wider as soon as Korra was in his arms, but his happiness was short lived when she removed herself and went over to gingerly wrap her arms around his brother. It was different between them.

Mako rested his head gently atop hers, their eyes shut and bodies close together, their breathing quickly fell in sync and their grips on each other tightened just before letting go. Bolin saw that there was never going to be any competition between him and Mako. If Korra ever wanted one of them as anything more as a friend, then it would be his brother, not him; there was far too much of the magical chemistry he'd heard so much about, yet never experienced for himself. So he wouldn't fight any longer, he would be what she wanted, whatever she needed, but he would not fight for more.

OoO

It was a few weeks later, just before dawn; there had been a soft knock at their apartment door. Korra had felt a pit settle in her stomach as her hand reached to pull the door back, and it revealed what she knew had been coming. What she had been preparing for.

She sighed, nodding towards the kindly smiling group of air acolytes; slumping she headed back inside to gather her things.

Korra had her heart beating impossibly loud in her ears, making everything feel unstable and her head dizzy. _Breathe_, she gently reminded herself.

Quickly, her shaking limbs make their way up the ladder to the boys beds, blushing slightly at their bare chests and sleeping forms. The firebender was the closest to her, just within reach,  
"Mako-" she shoved his shoulder, not getting a response Korra then proceeded to really ram his shoulder with her palm,  
"Mako, they're here" His eyes shot open, looking around as if they were being ambushed . His guard went up, and Korra could see it.

"Hey, we talked about this, it'll be fine. Get Bo up" the way she smiled at him, encouragingly and full of that timidness that Mako had grown quite fond of, it made him slow his breathing, coming back to rational thinking.

He loved trying to bring Korra out of her shell; it was something Mako had taken every opportunity to exploit. And even though they had received a letter saying that Korra would be taken to air temple island in a couple of weeks, and that yes, she could bring a few members of family, but this did nothing to calm the firebender. He was absolutely petrified of her being taken away from him.

Mako grabbed her wrist, staring at her steadily,

"Korra I-" _love you_,

"I don't know about this" She smiled again, patting him on the head patronisingly,

"It'll be fine" And she went off, gathering their stuff.

OoO

The three stood, clutching each their own small sack with their belongings, staring out over the waters of Yue bay,

"Goodbye republic city, hello air temple island!" Bolin broke the serene scene by pumping his fist in the air, and galloping onto the ferry, Mako simply sighed and offered his hand to Korra. Her blue eyes met his golden ones, and snatched his hand into her own…showing how truly scared she was, no matter how much she hid it.

OoO

_A:N_

I really am so happy so many of you are enjoying the story, and I'm really bad at linking ideas, and haven't been able to write them down due to being in hospital for some number of days, so I really loved coming back home and to read all your lovely reviews, it made me feel plenty better so thanks :) to AmericanCowGirl44 feel free to leave suggestions! I really don't mind, I won't promise I'll incorporate them, if it doesn't fit in with my plot but if it does then sure! Again thank you, and I'm going to apologise in advance because you aren't going to like what happens next, but _max_ it'll last one or two chapters. Sasha x


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